Confronting the reality that 45% of teenage girls are withdrawing from sports, often due to body confidence issues, Nike and Dove have launched “Body Confident Sport.”

The initiative, bolstered by the involvement of tennis legend Venus Williams, seeks to reverse this trend by empowering coaches with tools to foster positive self-esteem among girls aged 11 to 17 to encourage them to remain involved in women's sports. Nike and Dove announced the initiative on Oct. 24 in a press release.

“Body Confident Sport” is a result of a two-year collaboration between Nike, Dove, the Centre for Appearance Research and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. The toolkit is designed based on inputs from nearly 5,000 adolescents from various parts of the world and has proven its effectiveness in boosting body confidence and self-esteem in clinical trials involving more than 1,200 girls.

Highlighting the urgency of this initiative, Venus Williams, a sports phenomenon in her own right, has lent her voice and support to the cause. Williams emphasized the significant impact that coaches and peers can have on a young girl’s decision to continue in sports, noting the discouragement many face due to body issues and judgment.

“There's dropout discouragement that they’re facing due to body issues or judgment. We [haven’t] really had this conversation before,” Williams said, as reported by Kiana Murden of Vogue.

Research by Dove and Nike sheds light on the concerning trends in the U.S., where 48% of girls dropping out of sports believe they do not have the right body for it, and 56% felt objectified or judged based on their physical appearance. Williams underscores the role of education in this context, enabling coaches to comprehend the impact of their words and actions on young girls’ confidence, health and desire to stay in sports. According to Nike, 74% of girls reporting enhanced confidence due to their coaches’ influence.

In addition to equipping coaches with the necessary tools, Williams advocates for involving girls in sports from a young age, emphasizing the invaluable life lessons sports can teach.

“It’s given me everything—confidence, learning how to win or lose, learning how to deal with myself, learning how to be honest with myself,” she said.

“Body Confident Sport” is positioned to make a significant impact, aiming to reach 1 million young people worldwide. The toolkit, available for free at bodyconfidentsport.com, represents a powerful alliance between Nike and Dove, combining their strengths to champion the cause of women and girls in sports.